Just This Once
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: A collection of Teen Wolf fanfics all set in a universe where just this once everybody lives and following the Hale pack from the time after the fire to the future as Derek moves back to Beacon Hills and falls in love with Stiles.
1. Alpha Sparks

Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe where everyone (for the most part) lives.

* * *

 **Alpha Sparks**

Laura was in over her head, and she knew it. She did have help, and she was pretty sure that she would have made a whole mess of being an Alpha without it, but even having a mentor didn't make things not be completely overwhelming. Alpha Evans had been absolutely wonderful in getting Laura the training she needed, and she was pretty sure that if it hadn't been for the older woman, Derek would be a complete mess. The problem was that even around the older Alphas, Laura still had to be Alpha Hale. Derek was her only beta at this point, and he needed her to be the strong one right now. So there was really no one around that she could just be Laura with.

And on top of her responsibilities as an Alpha, she was still going to school. Derek was also starting college per both Alpha Evans and his therapist's suggestions. Thankfully, the two of them didn't have to worry about working as well as going to school. The insurance money took care of that. Still, nothing was the same. The friends and people she used to hang out with seemed so shallow now, and there wasn't much attraction to going out to clubs and parties like she used to. The fire had changed her in ways that most people didn't seem to understand, and all she really wanted was someone who saw Laura.

Letting out a groan, Laura dropped her head into her hands. There was no way she was going to finish studying for the upcoming midterm at this rate. She wasn't going to get anything done while her mind kept running in the same circles again and again. Sighing, Laura closed her book and slipped it back in her bag. Maybe a quick study break would help, and she could definitely use some chocolate. Hopefully, Derek was having a better time with studies than she was. She wasn't entirely sure she could handle a midterm breakdown from him right now.

There were a number of coffee shops littered on and around campus, but Laura's favorite was about a fifteen minute walk from the library. The walk was always good for her. Being in the city wasn't the same as being at home with wilderness just in her backyard, but as long as she spent at least a little time outdoors every day, she did fine. There was a line when she arrived at the Copper Kettle, but given their hot chocolate, she was willing to wait. She took her place in line and waited her turn. The line moved at a brisk pace, and before long she was placing her order.

It was when she turned to find a spot to wait that Laura ran into trouble. She was nearly run over by a group of frat boys, and while being a werewolf meant that she wasn't hurt, it didn't keep her from being knock over. Except, strong hands caught her elbows and steadied her as well as drew her out of path of traffic.

"Are you all right, miss?" A pair of worried green eyes were watching her and the smell of heat and spices filled her nose.

"I'm fine. Thanks for the save."

He smiled. "Good. I'm Jordan."

"Laura."

"Nice to meet you."

Laura's hot chocolate was placed on the counter along with a latte.

"I'd better grab that."

Jordan shook his head. "I've got it. Don't want to risk you getting trampled again."

Somehow the two of them ended up sitting at one of the tables by the café window, chatting about their lives in general. Laura couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but there was definitely something about Jordan that just pulled her in. Of course, it helped that he was cute, had a good sense of humor, and had a better understanding of what Laura was going through than most people. He was also currently on leave and was due to be shipped overseas for a tour of duty either in Iraq or Afghanistan sometime in the next six months. When Laura finally headed back to the library, she left with Jordan's phone number and a promise to text him.

Texting Jordan very quickly became a lifeline for her. He always seemed willing to listen, and even if he couldn't reply right away, he always tried to get back to her sooner or late. Laura didn't really realize how much the whole relationship was affecting her until Derek mentioned it.

"Laura, did something happen? You seem happier now?" Her brother's voice was hesitant as if he wasn't sure he was allowed to ask.

She blinked at him. "Sort of. There's this guy. I've been texting him. He's really nice."

"Oh." Derek was quiet. "You haven't mentioned him before."

There was something in his voice that made her pause before answering. She had been about to tell him that it wasn't any of his business who she saw, but the fact that he looked nervous, that she could tell his was scared stopped. She bit her lip. Laura knew what Kate Argent had done to her brother, and she knew that the relationship had been a secret.

"It's pretty new. He doesn't know about the supernatural, and I don't know that it will last once he gets deployed." Laura shrugged slightly. "I only met Jordan last week."

Derek's shoulders relaxed a little at that. "What's he like?"

Laura laughed. "He's interesting. Not what I expected from an army guy at all."

She ended up spending almost an hour talking to Derek about Jordan, and by the end of it, she'd realized that this was probably the most that they had just hung out in a long time.

"Would you like to meet Jordan sometime? I think the two of you might get along," she offered.

And it occurred to Laura that Derek might need a friend just as much as she did. He had classmates yes, but the only person other than Alpha Evans and his therapist that he was close to was Laura. Before the fire Derek had always had friends, even if they hadn't always been close friends. Though to be fair, he'd started pulling away from everyone after Paige. Making a new friend might be good for him.

"Maybe. Are you going to tell him about us?"

Laura just shrugged. "Only if this lasts. It's too early yet to think about that. Though now that you mention it, there is something about his scent that makes me think he might be one of us. Not a wolf, but some sort of supernatural. We'll see."

Introducing Jordan and Derek to one another was an interesting challenge. Laura didn't want to scare either of them off, but at the same time, they were both important to her, and she wanted them to get along. The fact that Jordan tended to be pretty laid back would help, but Derek was more than a little skittish when it came to meeting new people. Not that Laura could blame him, but it did make things a little more difficult.

And the truth of the matter was she was worried that it was a little too soon for Jordan to meet her family. They really hadn't known one another for all that long, and even if Derek was her only relative left, it seemed like things were going a little fast to her. But she knew that it meant something to Derek to be involved. Both Alpha Evans and Derek's therapist had mentioned that one of Derek's major worries was that Laura would ended up leaving him and that keeping him in loop would be helpful.

So the next time they met up for coffee, Laura brought up the subject.

"What would you think about meeting my brother? You don't have to, but he's a bit curious, and well, he worries. We're all one another has left, and unfortunately, Derek has a lot of trust issues these days." She knew she was rambling at this point, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. "But he'd like to meet you, and I think you'd like him, and-"

"Laura," Jordan cut her off. "I'd be happy to meet you brother."

She let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank you."

That had been the easy part. Convincing Derek was a little harder. There were days that Laura just didn't know what to do with her brother. Objectively, she knew that what had happen with Kate and the fire had done its fair share of damage, on top of things that had already been festering due to the situation with Paige. But living the reality of that when there was little she could do to help her brother was a different story. For all that Laura had been being groomed to become the next Alpha, she wasn't even close to being the Alpha her mother had been.

Still, Derek eventually agreed, and the three of them met up at a coffee shop just off campus. It wasn't the Copper Kettle, but it wasn't bad either. And things went very well at first. Laura had to do a little work to get the conversation going between the two, but she had been right to think that they might get along. So she sat back with a smile and let the two talk, and that's when it all went to hell.

She had stopped being hyper vigilant about certain things about six months after they had arrived in New York City. Laura no longer felt constantly under attack and figured that she could let down her guard. So nothing really twigged for her when the blond woman approached their table and interrupted them. But the second she reached out to touch Derek, trying to flirt Laura was sure, it became clear that this was a problem.

To be honest, while Laura knew about a lot of Derek's problems, they were also things that he didn't like to share with her, and she had never seen him go into a full blown panic attack before. She had no idea what to except for getting the woman away from him. But once she was gone, Laura had no idea what to do next, and it was clear that someone needed to do something. Derek was having trouble breathing.

Laura wrung her hands, but Jordan was already kneeling in front of Derek, speaking softly.

"All right, Derek. I need you to breath with me. Nice calm breaths, in and out."

The calm cadence of his words were helping Laura at least, and she could hear Derek's heartbeat calming down. Jordan kept talking until Derek's breathing had calmed. Then he stood up.

"Why don't we get out of here? I think we could all use some fresh air."

Laura didn't have any complaints about that. Besides, it would better if something triggered Derek again to have a little more space around them. Plus, Laura got the feeling that Derek wanted to be anywhere without people right now. He was a clearly a little more at ease once they had some space between him and anyone else. Laura turned to Jordan.

"Thank you."

Jordan just shook his head. "Not a problem. PTSD isn't ever fun to deal with."

He turned his attention to Derek. "How are you feeling?"

Derek just shrugged. "I'm doing better. She was wearing the same perfume as Kate."

Laura winced. No wonder he'd had trouble. She glanced over at Jordan, but he let the reference pass without comment. She hadn't given him any details on what had happened before they'd moved to New York City, just that they had lost their entire family in a fire. In part because so much of the story was tied up in the fact that they were werewolves. And also in part because she knew just how hard it had been for Derek to speak about the whole mess, and that he didn't seem comfortable sharing that information around.

Derek looked around before finally speaking. "Look, Jordan, it was really nice meeting you, but I have to go. I just need to go for a run or something. I'll see you back home, Laura."

He was gone before she could protest. Laura just sighed.

"I'm sorry about that."

Jordan shook his head again. "Don't be. Your brother needs to do what is best for him. He's got someone he can talk to?"

Laura nodded. "We've got a couple people working with him. This is probably the worst incident in a while. I just fell so helpless. I didn't even know what to do about his panic attack. I've never seen one of them before."

"Remaining calm and helping him get his breathing under control are probably the most important things." Jordan wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm going to guess that this is a pretty new thing."

Laura nodded. "It started after the fire. To be honest, I didn't know how bad things were until someone took me under her wing. Derek's getting the help he needs now, but I've been told that it might be a long recovery."

Jordan frowned. "Can I ask what happened?"

She sighed softly. "I can give you the short version. I can't tell you details without Derek's permission. The fire was arson, and we know who did it even if we can't prove it. But she used Derek in order to find out information she needed, and she hurt him in the process."

Jordan nodded, accepting that, and Laura felt a weight lift off of her. It helped to share with someone else, even if it wasn't everything.

Despite the fact that there had been a few hiccups in the first meeting between Derek and Jordan, they did get along quite well. Laura wasn't entirely happy to share Jordan with Derek, but her brother only really joined them about a third of the time. Things were looking pretty good up until the point when Jordan got news of his deployment. He was being sent to Iraq and wouldn't be back for at least nine months if not longer. Laura wasn't sure what to do. She had known this was possibility from the start, but she hadn't at all been prepared for how hard it would be.

Jordan at least had some ideas on how they could keep in touch, and as hard as long distance could be, she knew she wanted to try at least. She wasn't going to let him go so easily. So, they made plans for regular skype dates, and Laura started gathering lists of things to send in care packages. The day Jordan left was the hardest. Derek had come along too in order to say goodbye, and Laura was grateful for his presence at her side. She was pretty sure that he was the only thing keeping her from breaking down. Which she could do at home, but she didn't want to do it in front of Jordan.

He hugged them both and then leaned in to kiss Laura. "Take care of yourselves while I'm gone, okay?"

Derek nodded. "We will. Stay safe."

"I'll do my best."

He waved goodbye and headed off. Laura bit back a whimper, and Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in a half hug. She leaned into him and hoped that the time and distance between them wouldn't diminish that spark she was sure they both felt.

The separation was both harder and easier than Laura expected. Easier because Laura fond that she could throw herself into school work and taking care of Derek and forget that Jordan was gone and possibly in danger. But there were times when she couldn't forget. And she worried about Jordan. Laura couldn't help it.

She did have to admit that their long distance courtship did have some benefits. It was rather fun getting to know Jordan through his letters, and there was something about putting information on paper that made it easier to share then face to face. She found herself sharing more secrets than she had expected, even if she still held on the most important of them. But even that she was debating sharing. She and Derek had actually talked it over once or twice. The real question was would Jordan still want to stick around when he got back. They really hadn't known one another all that long.

The deployment seemed to warp time somehow. There were days when it seemed to stretch on forever, and others when the time was flying by. Still, Laura was more than a little nervous when the day came when Jordan was finally supposed to be come back. She was on pins and needles as she and Derek waited with a multitude of other soldiers' families and friends. Derek had shot her several concerned glances off and on over the past fifteen minutes. But she felt something in her ease when soldiers started to arrive. She kept a sharp eye out for any sign of Jordan amongst the throng of people, but she wasn't having much luck amidst the flood of people dressed in uniform.

Then Derek shot up his arm in a wave, and the next thing Laura knew, she was trying to keep from passing out as Jordan appeared. First he wrapped Derek in a bear hug and then he turned his attention to her. Laura wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to fling her arms around him and kiss him, but she didn't know if that would welcome or not. Jordan solved her dilemma for her by pulling her into a quick kiss. She smiled up at him.

"Welcome home."

He leaned in for another kiss. "Thanks."

In that moment, Laura knew that whatever else they had to deal with, Jordan was part of her pack now, and she wasn't about let go of this now.


	2. Little Goblins Ten

Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe where everyone (for the most part) lives.

* * *

 **Little Goblins Ten**

Sometimes Derek wonders how he gets himself into these things. However, this time he knows. In fact, he volunteered. Between the fact that Halloween is one of his favorite holidays and the fact that he adored his nieces and nephews, it seems sort of logical that Derek volunteered to take the kids trick or treating this year so their parents can attend the Halloween party being thrown by Lydia Martin-Whittemore. Which left Derek with a gaggle of werewolf and human children between the ages of nine and three to manage.

Laura's brood was the largest. His older sister and her husband, Jordan, had gotten an early start on increasing the pack once they had gotten married. Liam and Talia were the oldest of the pack kids at eight. The twins were both werewolves, and had almost gotten to the point where they felt too cool for trick or treating with the rest of the family. True to form, the two of them had once again chosen matching costumes with Talia as the Black Widow and Liam as Hawkeye. Their younger sister, Elisha, was six. She was the quietest of her siblings and more than a bit shy. Ellie was also in a princess phase, though she was very particular about her princesses. That was why she was dressed up as Princess Leia, complete with blaster. Neil was the baby of the family. He was only four and was completely adorable dressed up as a sheriff's deputy like his dad. He was also the only human of the lot, but that seemed to have only made his siblings all the more protective of him.

Then there was Erica and Boyd's trio. Lianne was Ellie's same age as well as her best friend. The two girls were pretty much inseparable. So Derek wasn't at all surprised to find that Lianne had decided to dress up as a Rebel pilot to accompany Ellie's Princess Leia. Her two younger brothers, Raleigh and Malcolm, had also gone with a sci-fi theme, but a different movie, deciding to be Jaeger pilots. The boys were Irish twins, with Raleigh being almost five and Malcolm being just turned four. They were probably Derek's biggest handful too, being completely full of energy. Malcolm was a werewolf like his older sister, but Raleigh was human, not that it seemed to matter. In fact, Raleigh was often the ringleader when it came to mischief.

Lastly there was the newest edition to the pack. Cora and Isaac's daughter, Mairead, was only three, and this was her first year going trick or treating with the pack instead of her parents. Mairead had been dressed up as a little black cat. She looked absolutely adorable and she was quite happy perch on Derek's hip while everyone else ran down the street. Derek himself had gone the easy route for a costume. He'd just worn normal clothes and let his face transform to his beta shift. It might look like fancy make-up, but it was easy as breathing for Derek.

What was more difficult was riding herd on the group as they raced from one house to the next. With the exception of Neil and Mairead, the children were bound and determined to acquire as much candy as they could possibly carry. Derek didn't envy their parents the task of rationing out the candy after the holiday. He was booked to work for the next week or so and therefore was unavailable for babysitting.

As usual, Beacon Hills had gone all out for the holiday. His little group had only finished two blocks so far, but their bags were already sagging with candy. Liam and Raleigh had drawn out a detailed plan of just which houses to hit. Derek was actually pretty impressed. The two boys had approached the evening like Eisenhower with D-Day. Of course, their penmanship and drawing skill might not quite bit up to scratch, but Derek could still get a clear sense of where they were supposed to go.

They had set out from Laura's house and done a quite circuit of that block before moving on in towards the center of town.

"All right," Derek said as they regrouped at the end of the block. "Where to next?"

Liam consulted his map. "We need to head over to Peabody Street where the sheriff lives. I heard he was handing out full sized candy bars."

Derek nodded as he took Neil's hand with his free one. "Okay then. Does everyone have their buddies?"

There was some eye rolling at that, but all of the kids held up joined hands. Derek wasn't taking an chances. He was dead if something happened to anyone of the kids. He'd be facing several angry werewolves, including his Alpha. And despite their grumbling, the kids didn't seem to mind all that much. Liam and Talia led the way to their next destination with the others following behind them, and Derek bringing up the rear with the littlest two.

He almost didn't recognize Sheriff Stilinski's home. Someone had gone far above and beyond the call of duty when decorating it. Cobwebs hung everywhere. Bats dangled from the tree in the yard, and there was also an owl perched in its branches. A wheel barrow parked near the path to the front door was full of dirt and bones. And the porch was covered in jack-o-lanterns of all sizes. There had to be at least a dozen of them. All carved with a myriad of designs, some spooky and some more whimsical. Derek was pretty sure that one of the pumpkins was carved with protective runes that would keep anyone will ill will from approaching the house. That didn't exactly surprise Derek. He'd known through his brother-in-law that the sheriff was aware of the supernatural.

Liam and Talia traded a look with one another and then led the group up the walkway. Mairead buried her face in Derek's shoulder and Neil was clutching his hand tightly. Once the older kids were circled around the door, Talia rapped loudly on the door. It creaked open to reveal a tall man dressed like an old west sheriff.

"Trick or treat!" The familiar chorus rang out.

Sheriff Stilinski smiled. "All right, let's see who we have here."

He started handing out king sized Reese's peanut butter cups. "I recognize Black Widow and Hawkeye of course, and the Jaeger pilots. Your highness, I'm honored that you and one of your brave pilots has taken time from the Rebellion to honor us with your presence. Who else do we have here?"

Derek gently urged Neil forward. "It's okay."

The sheriff crouched down so he was about the same height as Neil. "I think I know this fellow. You're Deputy Hale, aren't you?"

Neil nodded shyly.

"Would you like a candy bar, deputy?"

Neil nodded again and held out his bag. The sheriff smiled and dropped the candy bar inside.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, deputy." He turned his attention to Mairead who still had her face buried in Derek's neck. "And who's this?"

Derek smiled. "This is Mairead. She's a little shy tonight."

The Sheriff just smiled as he rose to his feet and slipped a candy bar into her bag. "That's understandable."

Derek looked at the group. "What do you say?"

"Thank you!"

The sheriff grinned. "You all have a good night. Stay safe."

The little group continued on their way. It was a good street. Sheriff Stilinski wasn't the only one on the block handing out full sized candy bars. The kids made quite a haul. Derek was actually a little surprised that weren't more people out. He'd only spotted one other group of kids on the opposite side of the street, but that was it. It was a little odd, but Derek just figured that everyone else was getting a later start this year. His group had started a little early since some of his charges had eight o'clock bedtimes.

They were huddled under a large oak tree at the end of the block while Liam and Raleigh consulted their map on where to go next. Derek's head shot up moments before something hit him from behind. Derek pressed Mairead into Talia's arms as he whirled around letting his claws extend. It was too close for him to see well, so Derek just lashed out. He connected with something, and the creature fell back a little.

"Get behind me and stay out of the way," Derek growled.

He had to trust that Talia and Liam to take the of the other while Derek concentrated on their attacker. He didn't recognize the hunched over woman with stringy hair. She was clearly something supernatural, but nothing that he had ever encountered before either. But she had attacked him, and Derek wasn't going to let her harm the pups. Unfortunately for Derek, the thing was stronger than a werewolf and didn't seem to have a weak point. It was all he could do to keep her away from the children. And Derek didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

Then from out of nowhere there was a blaze of light, and the thing was driven back. Derek blinked as there was another flash and the smell of ozone. The thing dropped to the ground and didn't get up, though there was a burning smell rising from the body. Derek looked up to see who had rescued him.

It was a young man dressed at a Jedi knight. His hands glowed with a warm golden light that also made the tattoos on his skin glow. Clustered behind him were five children. Two little girls were dressed up as Batman and Robin, with fluffy tutus in the proper colors on top of their leggings. Clutching Batman's hand was an even younger little girl dressed as a Ravenclaw student. There was also a scowling boy of about six dressed as Indiana Jones, and another girl, this one dressed as a Pokémon trainer.

The other man smiled at him. "Are you all right?"

Derek nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

"Not a problem. I'm Stiles Stilinski, McCall Pack emissary."

"Derek Hale."

Stiles' smile widen further. "Dude. I've been looking forward to meeting you now that I'm back in Beacon Hills. Cora says you've got made language skills and a collection of Celtic lore."

Derek had the feeling that this was the academic librarian friend Cora had been trying to set him up with for the past month. She kept saying that since Derek translated old books and her friend collected them, they would be perfect for one another.

"Uncle Stiles," Batman piped up. "Can we go back to trick or treating now? We're wasting time."

Derek had the feeling that his own group had similar sentiments. Stiles arched an eyebrow at him.

"What do you say we combine forces? We were just about to head over to Shady Lane."

"Yes!" Liam interrupted them. "They're supposed to have the best candy. Can we please, Uncle Derek?"

Derek just shrugged. "Sure."

"Let me just text my dad so he can have someone come take care of the remains."

The rest of the evening went on without a hitch. Derek found it was nice to have another adult around for the trick or treating rounds. The kids seemed to get one without a problem, but Derek was a little bit concerned with the way some of the girls were plotting together. Derek could look away for a moment and the next thing he'd know they'd be running the world.

He had also learned that Batman and Robin were Amelie and Tori McCall, Alpha McCall's daughters. Derek had only been back in town about six months, and he hadn't met anyone from the McCall pack other than their Alpha. Indy and the Ravenclaw were James and Rhiannon Whittemore, and the Pokémon trainer was Airi Mahealani. By the end of an hour, even the oldest of the children were flagging and Derek and Stiles were deep in discussion of comparative mythology.

"So," Stiles grinned at him. "I have to drop these guys off at Lydia's for the rest of their slumber party, but then I'm free for the night. What about you?"

Derek sighed. "I'm on babysitting duty until tomorrow at Laura's."

Stiles' brow furrowed. "Would you mind some company?"

"You don't mind spending the rest of your evening with children?"

"Nah." Stiles shrugged. "I'd just be spending it watching movies on my own. I'll drop by in half an hour. Should I bring food?"

"Sure. You know Laura's address?"

"Yep."

So Derek got to spend the next half hour wrangling children and getting them into bed. Thankfully, just about everyone was exhausted enough not to give him too much trouble. There were some complaints about teeth brushing and the restriction of no candy until their parents got home, but he managed to get them all into bed. Derek's reward for that was Chinese take out shared with Stiles as they half watched _Clue_ and debated sources for warding rituals. It was quite cozy, and he caught Stiles watching him fondly more than once.

"So," Stiles said as Wadsworth explained who the murderer was on the screen, "second date this Friday? No kids this time?"

Derek smiled. "Sounds good to me."

It looked like Derek had picked up a treat of his own this Halloween.


	3. Step One

Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe where everyone (for the most part) lives.

* * *

 **Step One**

Derek shouldn't be so nervous. This wasn't the first time he had gone on a date, and he knew that Stiles was interested in him. Stiles also already knew that he was a werewolf and about his pack. They had gotten along quite well the other night, and there was no reason to think that tonight wouldn't go just as well. Or at least, that's what Derek told himself.

To be completely fair, he had always been rather unlucky in love. One night stands he did fine with even if he really didn't care about them, but it seemed like every time he got into a relationship with someone, the whole thing blew up in his face. There had been Paige, and then Kate, and finally Jennifer, though Kate had been the worst. And there had been both Braedan and Martin which hadn't been bad relationships exactly, but they hadn't been what Derek needed and the breakups had still hurt.

So the idea of starting a new relationship was a bit nerve wracking. Still, everything that he'd ever heard about Stiles was good, and he didn't think this was a mistake. So, Derek took a deep breath and grabbed his jacket before heading out. He and Stiles were actually meeting at a little restaurant that Stiles had recommended, and Derek didn't want to be late. He ended up arriving early.

Biwa looked like a hole in the wall, but Stiles had insisted the place was fantastic, so Derek headed on in. Stiles was waiting for him just inside. The other man grinned at him.

"We're just waiting on a table. There should be one free in a couple minutes."

"Great." Derek shoved his hands in his pockets, not sure what to say.

Thankfully, the hostess came before they had a chance to try and strike up a conversation. It didn't take long for the two of them to order and then before the awkward silence could begin, Stiles grinned.

"So, I've heard about you from both Cora and Jordan, but I'd rather hear about you from you."

Derek shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with work. I know you are a translator, but what exactly do you translate?"

"Older texts mostly for academic institutions. I'm freelance these days though so sometimes it can be anything depending on what the client wants. I specialize in supernatural lore to some extent, but you need good references if you want me to translate something like that."

"Wise precaution. What languages?"

That made Derek laugh. "That depends on who you ask. I advertise that I do translations from Russian, Polish, Welsh, Gaelic, French, and Spanish, but I can work with a smattering of others."

That made Stiles raise his eyebrows. "Impressive."

"I like languages. And at the time, burying myself in my studies was the best option I had to keep my sanity."

"I can understand that."

"What about you?" Derek asked. "I know that Cora has mentioned you're a librarian."

Stiles nodded. "I am, currently at the special archives at Beacon Hills University. I ended up there mostly so we would have access to some of their more esoteric collection. It's interesting work though, and I enjoy it."

The conversation soon turned from work to pleasure, and Derek was more than a little delighted to find that Stiles was as much as a geek as he was. True, Derek was more of a Marvel fan while Stiles was solidly on Batman's side, but at least it made things interesting. Their food arrived before things could get too heated, and Derek had to admit that Stiles had been right about the food being delicious. Derek had been spoiled by the restaurants in New York City, but this place is living up to some of his favorites there."

Talk slows as the two of them eat, concentrating on the food rather than the company. Still, the silence isn't awkward or uncomfortable, and Derek finds himself very much at ease despite the fact that he doesn't know Stiles well. That's rare for Derek, even after all of these years, and it's something he takes note of. It helped that he already knows that his pack knows and trusts Stiles. He had learned to rely on them and their judgement over the years.

Conversation drifted once again, this time to various things they had encountered over the years. Derek might have been out of the loop with events here in Beacon Hills while he had been living back east, but he had gotten involved in his fair share of adventures on his own. Besides, Stiles definitely had a way with storytelling that made for quite an enjoyable evening. And by the time that they were picking out their desserts, Derek was pretty sure he wanted a third date as well.

"So how are you liking being back in Beacon Hills? I know it has to be a far cry from New York City." Stiles asked.

Derek just shrugged. "It's good to be back around the pack again. I've missed them more than I liked the past couple of years. Being in Beacon Hills is strange at times, so much has changed, and yet there are things that are exactly the same as when we left. There are definitely some ghosts, but it's easier dealing with them with the pack around me. I have to admit, I originally thought Laura was crazy to want to come back here."

Stiles nodded. "I can understand that. No one really expected the Hales to come back after what had happened, especially after I figured out what had really happened after Scott had first got bitten."

Derek shrugged again. "I know that both Laura and Jordan felt drawn here. In Laura's case, drawn back here. Even Cora wanted to come back. I was the major hold out. It's one of the reason I didn't move back until recently. They lived here for nearly two years before I was even willing to come visit them. But there kept being new nieces and nephews, and I didn't want to miss out on them growing up, so here I am."

"I can understand that. When I went away for school, I seriously considered not coming back to Beacon Hills a couple times," Stiles said. "But I missed my friends too much to stay away in the end. I think it's worked out well. Besides," here Stiles grinned. "I think we can help you make some new memories to help balance out the bad ones."  
"I think I'd like that," Derek agreed.

Eventually, the evening came to an end though. Stiles insisted on playing for dinner, though he did tell Derek that he could pay next time, and that implication there would be another date sometime in the future warmed Derek more than the tea that had come with their dessert. Both of them clearly dawdled as they walked back to their cars, but finally Stiles spoke up as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"So, I had a good time tonight."

Derek nodded. "I did too."

"A third date is in the cards then?"

Derek leaned in to kiss his cheek and whisper in Stiles' ear. "Absolutely."

With that they parted ways, and Derek knew there was a lightness in his steps that hadn't been there in a long time.


	4. Minor Meddlers

Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe where everyone (for the most part) lives.

* * *

 **Minor Meddlers**

It wasn't that he and Derek hadn't had time to get to know one another. It was more that they hadn't really had any time alone after their first date. Both of their packs seemed to have formed a conspiracy to keep the two of them from having any time alone, and it was beginning to really irk Stiles. He loved his pack, they were basically his family, but there were times when they drove him crazy.

Like right now. Originally he'd planned to take Derek out for a picnic and then go to the museum. Then Lydia had invited herself and her children along, and then Cora and Isaac had wanted to come, and before Stiles knew it had turned into a two pack event. And it wasn't that Stiles minded spending time with them, but it was much harder to simply focus on Derek with everyone else around.

However, Stiles was quick to discover that he had at least one or two co-conspirators who wanted to help him out. Both of Scott's daughters and Erica's kids as well seemed to notice exactly when the adults were interrupting Stiles and Derek and moved to distract the adults. Stiles wasn't one hundred percent sure that it was deliberate on the kids' part, but he appreciated it none the less. All he wanted was to have a chance to get to know Derek without interference. Was that so much to ask?

Apparently both his and Derek's packs thought so. Any attempt at a date seemed to be crashed with alarming regularity. And Stiles wasn't entirely sure what was up with that. He knew that the Hale pack was more than a little protective of Derek's heart. He couldn't blame them, not when he knew some of what had been done to Derek over the years. But there was protective and then there was overkill. Plus, Stiles had no intention of ever deliberately hurting Derek. It would probably happen at some point simply because no relationship was perfect, but it wouldn't be intentional. Of course, that was assuming that the two of them ever made it beyond these rather awkward all pack dates that kept happening. It was a bit of a mood killer to be frank.

Someone tugged at his hand pulled Stiles from his thoughts, and he looked down to find Amelie McCall standing next to him.

"Uncle Stiles? We have a plan."

And if that wasn't mildly terror inducing Stiles wasn't sure what was. He had been on the receiving end of more than one of the girls' plans before.

"You do?"

She nodded solemnly. "Talia and Liam came up with it. When we get the parents' attention, you and Mr. Derek are supposed to make a run for it. That way you can finally kiss without being interrupted."

He blinked at her, not entirely sure he had he had heard her right. "What?"

Amelie rolled her eyes at him. "Talia says the parents are being silly about you two. So we're going to do something about it."

Stiles wasn't entirely sure what to make of that, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if it got him time alone with Derek. So he sidled over to Derek and waited for the kids to make their move. It didn't take them long at all, and soon every single parent had their hands full. Stiles grabbed Derek's hand and tugged him towards the exit.

"Come on. We shouldn't waste our chance."

He didn't let go of Derek's hand until the two of them were safely down the block from the museum.

"Well, that didn't exactly go as planned," Stiles admitted. "Any ideas of what to do know? I'd say our original date was completely hijacked."

Derek just shrugged. "There's a new Bond movie playing. I figure we could make the last matinee if we hurry."

"Sounds good to me. Speaking of Bond," Stiles smirked, "which one is your favorite?"

As the two of them headed towards the local theater, Stiles felt his spirits rise. Maybe this date would work out well after all.


	5. Proper Prior Planning

Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe where everyone (for the most part) lives.

* * *

 **Proper Prior Planning**

Stiles had a plan. It was a very good plan if he said so himself. He'd been working on it for the past few months. He and Derek had been dating for almost two years now and living together for almost one. And Stiles was absolutely certain that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the man. Which meant that a proposal was in order. And he needed it to be perfect.

So Stiles had spent the past month or so preparing for tonight. Finding the right ring had been a challenge in part because it needed to be unique and special without being too fancy or flashy. Derek was understated and his ring needed to be as well. Stiles had finally needed to commission something specific for his boyfriend. But once he had a ring in hand, Stiles needed to come with the perfect proposal. Or at least the perfect one for Derek.

He'd gone through all sorts of ideas. Everything from taking Derek to a baseball game and proposing there to an ultra-romantic dinner and a tradition down on one knee proposal. But none of those really fit Derek. And the proposal was for Derek, and it needed to suit him. Which was what had led to his current plan which was quiet, private, and comfortable. Stiles had a picnic dinner packed, a spot in the preserve picked out, and a blanket packed in the back of his jeep. The ring was in his pocket, and now Stiles just needed to calm down enough to go pick Derek up. Stiles had borrowed his dad's kitchen to get everything ready.

It didn't take Stiles long to pack up his jeep, double checking that he had everything he needed. The last thing that he needed tonight was to forget something. Derek was waiting at their loft as instructed. Stiles doubled checked that he had everything one more time and then got out to go collect his boyfriend.

* * *

Derek shifted nervously as he waited and checked his jacket pocket once again to make sure he had the ring. He'd been debating proposing to Stiles off and on for the past month or so, and Derek had finally come to the conclusion that he just needed to propose all ready. It wasn't like he didn't know he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Stiles. And as much as Derek wasn't really looking forward to the hassle that would come with planning a two pack wedding, he really wanted to be married to Stiles.

He was hoping that tonight would be a good opportunity. It had been Stiles' turn to plan date night, but Derek figured that it was as good a time as any. The rumble of Stiles' jeep pulling up dragged him from his thoughts. Grabbing his keys, Derek headed out the door. Stiles was just getting out of the jeep. He grinned at Derek.

"Ready to go?"

Derek nodded and climbed in. Stiles headed straight for the preserve. Derek was puzzled by that, but held his tongue waiting to see just what his boyfriend had in store. They took one of the less well known logging roads that led up to the ridge. Derek recognized the place immediately when Stiles pulled the jeep over. The spot had been a favorite of his packs after full moon runs. Stiles turn off the jeep and grabbed a blanket from the back seat.

"Would you grab the picnic basket?" he asked. "I figured a picnic dinner would be nice."

The basket was heavier than Derek expected. He followed Stiles over to a fairly level patch of ground and helped him spread out the picnic blanket. Stiles gestured for Derek to take a seat and started to unpack their dinner.

* * *

Stiles tried to keep calm by distracting himself with their food. So far, so good. Their picnic was fairly simple as the food went: skewers of grilled chicken and steak, carrot and celery sticks, crackers and a soft cheese spread. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite a simple meal, but it looked pretty and tasted good. And Derek seemed to like the selection. The two of them lounged on the blanket, nibbling at their food and catching up on that day's news.

He found himself relaxing by degrees. But spending time with Derek did that to him. Stiles reached into his pocket in order to reassure himself that he still had the ring. Now he just needed to find the most opportune moment to actually ask his question. But he got distracted by discussion of Isaac and Cora's plans to take Mairead with them to South America for Cora's next photo shot.

It was only when they got to dessert that Stiles remembered the purpose of this specific date. As he pulled out the strawberry shortcake, Stiles prepared his proposal. He'd been agonizing over what he was going to say for the past week and a half, and now it felt like nothing that he prepared was adequate to express how he felt. And while Stiles knew that Derek would probably say yes no matter how inarticulate he was with the proposal, he still wanted to do this right. Derek deserved that.

Closing his eyes, Stiles gathered himself. When he opened them, he spoke.

"When your sister started to try and set us up, I was really skeptical at first. I mean, I thought that we might become friends, but I didn't really think that she'd be right about us suiting one another so well. But she really was, and I can't imagine my life without you in it now." He held out ring. "I want everyone to know that. Will you marry me?"

His boyfriend stared at him for a long moment and then started to laugh.

* * *

Derek reached out to take Stiles' outstretched hand before his boyfriend could take the laughter the wrong way.

"I think that we must have been operating on the same wavelength." He took the little pouch with Stiles' ring out of his pocket. "You just beat me to the punch."

It was Stiles turn to stare. Then he grinned and shook his head.

"Only us. So yes then."

Derek grinned. "Yes. Absolutely.

Laughing, the two of them exchanged rings and kisses.


	6. Pack Expansion

Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe where everyone (for the most part) lives.

* * *

 **Pack Expansion**

Stiles was trying not to notice how nervous his husband was. Because if he thought about that, he was going to start thinking about how nervous he was, and that wasn't going to end well for anyone. The two of them had been waiting for this day for almost a year and a half now, and now that it was finally here, Stiles felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack, and that was not how he wanted things to go. Today he and Derek were going to finally meet their daughter for the first time and take her home, and the last thing he wanted to do was mar the event in any way.

The subject of children had come up about two years ago, and it hadn't taken the two of them long to decide on adoption. Then it was the long process to get approved and get on lists. And after that, it was a lot of waiting. This was actually the third time that there had been a chance to adopt. The first two times had ended with things not working out. So there was a reason for the nerves beyond just the fact that they would be meeting their daughter today.

But this time it was different, on multiple levels. For one thing, this was going to be a private adoption, and the papers were already signed. Their Kira had come to them in a roundabout way. Apparently, Derek's mother had known Kira's family, and when the kitsune kit had been orphaned, the werewolf pack in the area had reached out to the Hale pack. Since there were no other relatives stepping forward and kitsune and werewolves could get along quite well, it was decided that Derek and Stiles would take her in.

So now the two of them were driving down to Point Reyes Station in order to pick Kira up. There was a brand new infant car seat in the back along with a diaper bag that could barely hold everything foisted upon them by their packs. Both the McCall pack and the Hale pack were going more than a little overboard about the newest addition to their family. They all had seen pictures of Kira, but Stiles had absolutely no doubt that they were going to be invaded the moment they got her home.

Derek reached over and adjusted the radio, changing it from NPR to a station that was playing bright, cheery pop music. Stiles raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. Derek was probably just as nervous as he was, and if he wanted to listen silly pop music to make the driver better, his husband wasn't going to complain.

It really was a beautiful drive. The two of them had left with plenty of time just in case something happened along way, but it also meant that they did not have to rush. They sort of were anyway, but Stiles did take the time to appreciate the coast scenery. He took another deep breath.

Neither of them were talking. There was really too much nervous energy in the car to do so. It was hard to believe that this was really happening, and as they drove past another tiny coast town, Stiles wondered if this was really real. He wasn't sure that he was going to believe it until Kira was actually in his arms. The road seemed to stretch on forever, and Stiles wondered if they would ever get to the end of it.

When they did finally roll into town it was late afternoon, and there was fog everywhere. Thankfully, it wasn't the supernatural sort. He and Derek followed their directions to a house that was just outside of town. Derek parked the car and the two of them shared a look. Taking another deep breath Stiles got out of the car. The house's front door opened before they even reached it, and a tall man stepped out with a smile.

"You must be Derek and Stiles. I'm Nick Deveroux."

Derek shook his hand. "Alpha Deveroux."

"Come on in. Kira's asleep, so we can get all of the boring parts of this."

The Deveroux home was cozy, and Stiles immediately felt at ease there. Nick gestured for them to take a seat.

"We scrounged together as much documentation and information about Kira as we were able to. Unfortunately, with almost everyone wiped out, there wasn't much to go on. But I do have Kira's birth certificate for you. As well as all the information we've been able on find on kitsune. They're not too different from werewolves, so hopefully there won't be too many surprises." Nick handed Stiles a thick folder of papers. "I'm glad you were willing to take her. We'd offer to adopt her ourselves, but the twins are four and the triplets are two, and I can't do that to Mia. Besides, the relatives we were able to contact in Japan, seemed to think you'd be the best caretakers for her. Though they do expect you to bring her to visit them."

Stiles smiled. It was nice to know that someone thought they'd be good parents. And he wouldn't mind a trip to Japan every now and then. He was idly flipping through the pages when a wail split the air. Nick sighed.

"And she's up. Let's go meet your daughter."

Nick led the way back into a room that had been a study which had clearly been converted into a nursery. Laying in a play pin was a seven month old infant wailing her lungs out. Nick deftly scooped her up and handed her to Derek. Stiles watched as his husband froze for a split second before cradling the baby close and rubbing her back soothingly. Kira calmed almost immediately, and Stiles was taken by just how natural the scene looked. Derek gently nuzzled the top of Kira's downy head, and he felt his heart melt.

Nick just shook his head. "Well, if there was ever any doubt that you were the right people for her, that settled it. She never calms down that easily for anyone else."

Derek and Stiles stayed the night. It gave them time to bond with Kira a little and to pack up the few things she had. It was an interesting evening. They quickly learned that Kira loved to be held and cuddled and wanted to be touched. She was curious too and did her level best to investigate anything she could reach. The first time Derek had handed her to Stiles to hold, he'd very quickly realized that was going to adore this little girl until the day he died.

The drive back to Beacon Hills the next day was tense in a different way. They had a much more precious cargo this time and some how damaging it was unthinkable. Thankfully, Kira took to the car trip quite well. She actually slept most of the way. Which was just as well. They pulled up in front of their new house and amazingly found no one waiting. It didn't take long for the two of them to get Kira settled in the nursery that they had put together. She woke almost immediately when Stiles set her down in her new crib, but instead of starting to cry, Kira looked around with wide eyes.

Derek wrapped an arm around Stiles' waist and sighed. "We should probably let everyone know that we're home."

"We're going to be invaded," Stiles groaned. "Let's just tell Dad and Melissa. They can meet their granddaughter, and then we'll let everyone else know."

John Stilinski was over at the house within minutes of hearing the news. Stiles was fairly certain he'd probably broken traffic laws, but no one was going to call the sheriff on that. He beamed at Derek and Stiles.

"Introduce me to my granddaughter, boys."

Melissa smacked his shoulder. "Give them a moment, John. She's a baby, not evidence."

Derek laughed but when to fetch Kira. Stiles couldn't help the way his heart swelled when the two of them reappeared. John held out his arms for Kira.

"Dad, meet Kira Stilinski-Hale."

He smiled down the little girl. "Hello, sweetheart."

Melissa snapped a photo. Then she handed the camera to Stiles.

"My turn. She's absolutely adorable, Stiles."

The grandparents hadn't been there more than ten or fifteen minutes when other cars started pulling up in front of the house. Stiles rolled his eyes.

"I think the cat is out of the bag."

Derek sighed. "We knew it would happen sooner or later."

By the end of the next thirty minutes, the house was completely full of pack members there to see their newest addition. Kira bore with being passed from person to person fairly well for the first twenty minutes, but then she wanted Derek or Stiles and nobody else. The rest of the pack was rather put out about that, but that didn't stop Allison and Lydia from cooing over how cute she was and discussing fashion options for the infant.

The kids especially seemed fascinated by Kira. She wasn't the first baby most of them had seen, but all of them wanted to hold the new baby, and werewolves especially seemed fascinated by her.

"She smells interesting. Not quite like a wolf. Maybe spicier?" Talia informed Stiles. "She smells good though. I can baby sit if you'd like."

Stiles smiled at the twelve year old. "I think you may have to get in line on that one."

Talia sighed. "That's what Mom said too."

Kira eventually fell asleep despite all of the attention. The two packs lingered despite that, and Stiles quickly discovered they hadn't come empty handed. There were all sorts of dishes that could be frozen and easily reheated as well as their refrigerator was far more stocked than Stiles remembered it being when they left to pick Kira up. Beyond that there were more toys than you could shake a stick at as well as a stack of baby clothes. It had been almost two years since there had been a new addition to the pack, but even so, this seemed to going a bit overboard.

Still, he knew it was because they loved him and Derek and wanted them to be happy. And it was just as clear that everyone already adored Kira. Even with the early tragedy in her life, Kira was going to grow being very loved and very happy if Stiles had anything to say about it. When he made his way back to the living room after stowing their new abundance of gifts in the nursery, he found that number of people in the house had dwindled. Stiles lingered in the doorway for a long moment, watching Derek talk softly with his sister even as held a sleeping Kira up against his chest.

It had taken a long time for them to get to this moment, but Stiles was absolutely certain that it had been more than worth the wait.


End file.
